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Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 7 - 11, 2001 -- Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
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Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival November 7 - 11, 2001 -- Brevard County, Florida A celebration of birds and wildlife. |
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INDEX OF FIELD TRIPS
Pelagic Birding Offshore Cape Canaveral
Trip Leader: Deborah Shearwater with Wes Biggs, Lee Snyder, Dave Goodwin, Kurt and Cindy Radamaker, Dick Novier, and Murry Gardler
Long time birders know that a pelagic birding trip can be as exciting as birding can get, and pelagic trips in Florida are a new frontier. Pelagic birds are species that are not usually seen close to land, so a boat trip offshore is needed. Join Debi Shearwater, founder of Shearwater Jouneys and veteran of more than 1400 pelagic trips, onboard the 65 foot Ocean Obsession out of Port Canaveral to search for some of the most sought after species in Florida.
Among our targets will be the Northern Gannet, Corey's Shearwater, all three jaegers, Leaches and Band-rumped Storm Petrels, Black and White-winged Scoters, and Black-legged Kittiwake. Seabirds seen on last year's trips include Northern Gannet, Magnificent Frigatebird, Corey's Shearwater, Pomerine and Parasitic Jaeger, Brown Booby, and Sabine's Gull (nearly unheard of for Florida). There is always the possibility of adding a new species to your Florida list, keep your fingers crossed.
November 7 & 10, 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Bus leaves from BCC Titusville at 6:00AM, or you may meet the Ocean Obsession docked next to Grill's Seafood and Tiki Bar at Port Canaveral at 6:30 AM.
Limited to 68 registrants.; $70/person (includes meal)
| 2000 TRIP |
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Black Rails and St. John's National Wildlife Refuge
Trip Leader: Mike Legare
Join Dynamac Corporation Wildlife Biologist, Mike Legare, on a sunset walk through the pristine salt marsh habitat of the restricted St. John's National Wildlife Refuge. While walking through the marsh, Mike will talk about black rails, their secretive habits, salt marsh habitat and the research he conducted on these elusive marsh birds. As the sun sets on the marsh horizon, Mike will stop at different places and play tapes to try to entice Black Rails to call.
Wear long pants, old shoes and bring mosquito repellant.
Nov. 8 & 9, 5:15 - 6:45pm, Limited to 40 registrants, Seminar precedes field trip on Nov. 8; Free
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| Kevin Karlson |
This field trip involves two parks; Smyrna Dunes Volusia County Park, and Canaveral National Seashore. At Smyrna Dunes we will take a two mile hike along Ponce de Leon Inlet in search of northern gulls and terns and shorebirds. Piping and Wilson's Plover are possible, along with sparrows in the salt marsh. Purple sandpiper is a main target species, and Gannets should be diving off shore.
The Turtle Mound area is the best seawatching spot in Florida for near shore pelagics, and November is the best month to be there. On last year's trip, due to a strong cold front which passed through, large numbers of northern gannets, pomerine and parasitic jaegers flew by, right down the shoreline. A rare long-tailed jaeger was seen, causing much excitement.
Nov 8 & 9, 6:00am-12:30pm, limited to 25 registrants; $35.00/person
Tossahatchee & Orlando Wetlands Park
Trip Leaders: Kurt & Cindy Radamaker, Murray Gardler & Mark Sees
Shaped by alternating cycles of fire and flood, Tossahatchee State Reserve is a mosaic of marshes, swamps, pine flatwoods and hammocks. The 28,000 acres of the reserve border 19 miles of the St. Johns River in east Orange County. The reserve is named for Tootoosahatchee Creek, which flows through its northern portion. Tootoosahatchee translates roughly from a Native American tongue to "Chicken Creek", "Fowl Creek" or "Fowl Town". The abundance of wildlife must have been attractive to the Native Americans who lived at Tossahatchee long before the arrival of the first Europeans. Mounds within the reserve indicate these people occupied the area for several centuries.
The Tossahatchee marshes are feeding areas for wading birds and, during winter months, host large numbers of migrating waterfowl. The forested uplands support white-tailed deer, bobcat, gray fox, turkey, woodpeckers, hawks, owls, songbirds and, on rare occasions, the Florida panther. Birds of interest include Bachman's sparrow, brown-headed nuthatch, eastern bluebird, bald eagle, wood stork, swallow-tailed kite and Florida sandhill crane. Park biologist, Shane Belson, will demonstrate the use of mistnets in capturing and banding birds. He will then escort the group on a short walking tour to highlight the unusual habitat types and plant and animal species of Tossahatchee. Mistnetting and bird banding will not take place as bird bander, Shane Belson, changed jobs and cannot attend.
A short distance away at Orlando Wetlands Park (OWP), Manager, Mark Sees, will join the group to lead a tour of the nearly 1200 acres of created wetlands, which include cattail and bulrush marshes, mixed and open marshes, hardwood swamps and a lake. Guests are sure to see numerous wading birds, and often, purple gallinules, least bitterns, American bitterns, red-shouldered hawks and king rails can be found foraging in the marshes. A variety of other animals abound at OWP including white-tailed deer, river otter, raccoon, bobcat, opossum, and wild hog.
Nov. 8 & 9, 6:30am-12:30pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $35.00/person
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| Fish & Wildlife Service |
Board the Harbor Princess and journey from the Indian River Lagoon into the St. Sebastian River, a remarkably pristine system with a number of rare plant and animal species. You may see manatees, alligators, river otters, bald eagles and more. Then travel across the Lagoon to the Sebastian Inlet State Recreation Area, where you might see dolphins frolicking and green and loggerhead sea turtles feeding on sea grass in the shallow turquoise water.
As the sun sets on the Lagoon, travel back in time to Pelican Island to see America's first National Wildlife Refuge and its birds, including brown and white pelicans, wood storks, several egret and heron species, roseate spoonbills, cormorants and various shorebirds. Learn first hand how this tiny island inspired the nation's wildlife conservation movement and where we are 100 years later as we approach the Centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System in March 2003.
November 8, 2:00 pm - 8:00 pm (includes bus travel time)
Limited to 37 registrants; $50.00/person (includes meal and beverage on boat)
Florida Scrub Jays and Plant Ecology of the Scrub
Trip Leaders Dave Breininger and Dr. Paul Schmalzer
Join Dynamacs' Wildlife Ecologist, Dave Breininger, and Plant Ecologist, Paul Schmalzer, on a NASA bus tour to a unique tract of Florida scrub habitat on the south end of the refuge, named Tel 4, where many scrub jay territories have been established. Once at Tel 4, guests will disembark the bus and walk along a firebreak road through several jay territories to view scrub jay families and their interactions. Along the way, Paul will give special emphasis to some of the rare plants, grasses, and a spikemoss that is more common to this site than anywhere else in the state.
Interpretive Birding: An Integrative Approach To Birdwatching
In a small group setting, Dr. Jim Davis will share his expertise on how to watch and interpret the actions of wild birds. The focus will be on developing observational skills and identifying behaviors. (Species identification skills are assumed). The group as a whole will attempt to decipher the meaning of the behaviors witnessed on this walk. Come and enjoy this unique style of birding with others that share your interest in watching behavior. Be prepared to discover something new; Jim guarantees it.
Trip Leaders: Doug Stuckey and Warren Frost
Northern Brevard County has much to offer in well known birding sites like Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge and
Join Naturalist Joanna Taylor and Wildlife Biologist Marty Folk on a coach tour of Central Florida's dry prairie habitat. Hosting one of the most diverse plant communities in North America, and home to a unique suite of birds that includes the Florida Sandhill Crane, Audubon's Crested Cara Cara, Burrowing Owl, Florida's Mottled Duck and the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, almost 90% of Florida's historical 2.8 million acres of dry prairie has been converted into other land uses.
Wildflowers
When Spanish explorers stumbled into North America, they landed on Cape Canaveral, very near to what is now the Kennedy Space Center. They named their newly discovered territory La Florida, meaning "Land of Flowers", for the profusion of blooming plants they encountered nearly everywhere they traveled. The diversity of natural habitats found on Florida's Central East Coast produces an abundant variety of plant communities. Because of that diversity, Brevard County harbors a wide range of blooming wildflowers throughout the year – with the fall season being most particularly beautiful. Join ever popular and entertaining wildflower expert and author, Dr. Walter Taylor for a trip filled with insight and information on Florida's blooming beauties.
Butterflies
On Florida's Space Coast, beautiful fall wildflowers provide a cornucopia for a wide range of butterflies, including monarchs, fritillaries, zebra longwings, white peacocks, buckeyes, sulphers, hairstreaks, viceroys, queens, giant swallowtails, skippers, and more. Come ride with Buck and Linda as they tour the rural areas of North Brevard County in search of butterflies and wildflowers. There's also usually a lot of dragonflies zooming about at this time of the year. Last year's participants spotted 35 species, including the mangrove buckeye, salt marsh skipper, and eastern pygmy blue.
The birders in Brevard County, Florida were Bitternless; as in no reliable spots to see a Least or American Bittern. The usual haunts: Ulumay, Hatbill Park, Cruickshank Trail at the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge had run dry. Mistaking a Green Heron for a Least Bittern was fun, bit like a ride half way home, you still had a way to go. The good people in Titusville came to our rescue. They built the Blue Heron Wetland Treatment System.
Historical Treasures of Canaveral National Seashore
This field trip visits several archeological sites and the Eldora Statehouse, one of the last remnants of an 1800's Florida waterway community. Exhibits in the newly restored Statehouse depict life at Eldora in an earlier era. Archeological sites to be visited include Turtle Mound, Seminole Rest, and Castle Windy.
Enchanted Forest Nature Sanctuary
Host: Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program.
Hal Scott Regional Preserve & Park
Join biologist Lorne Malo and hawk expert Jeff Bouton at the Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park for a half-day adventure in pursuit of some of east Orange County's resident birds. We will start out by visiting an active red-cockaded woodpecker colony as the birds awaken from their roost. From there we will explore the pine flatwoods, wet prairies, and the Econlockhatchee River swamp in search of such common inhabitants as the eastern bluebird, brown-headed nuthatch, Bachman's sparrow, wood duck, Sandhill crane, bald eagle, and barred owl. With some luck we may find wild turkey, hairy woodpecker, red-headed woodpecker, hermit thrush, orange-crowned warbler, sedge wren, marsh wren, king rail, sharp-shinned hawk, and Cooper's hawk. Alligators, river otters, and bobcats are also good possibilities.
CANCELLED
Join biologist Lorne Malo on a half-day adventure exploring Canaveral National Seashore (south end) in search of the area's diverse birdlife. Northern gannets are common along Playalinda Beach. We will also search for great black-backed gulls, sandwich terns, piping plovers, merlins, and peregrine falcons.
Jetty Park & Scottsmoor Landing
Join biologist Lorne Malo and raptor expert Jeff Bouton on a half-day adventure exploring Jetty Park at Port Canaveral and Scottsmoor Landing in northern Brevard County.
Join Captain Ron for a leisurely ride through historic Haulover Canal to the pristine waters of Mosquito Lagoon. Here, lush beds of seagrass support vast quantities of fish, shrimp, clams and oysters, providing food for larger gamefish and waterfowl. Dolphins are often seen frolicking in the shallow waters near the canal's approaches. Shuttle launch pads stand out as distinct landmarks near the southern end of the lagoon. The deep waters of the canal provide shelter for manatees, and they frequently can be found there. Mullethead Island, a large spoil island west of the canal, is one of Florida's premier rookery islands. Look for wading birds, shorebirds, gulls and terns, and lots of pelicans and cormorants around it. There's a good chance you'll see roseate spoonbills and reddish egrets. American white pelicans, common loons, and horned grebes may also be seen.
Orlando Wetlands Park Hayride
The City of Orlando invites the public to participate in the Orlando Wetlands Park Spotlight Wildlife Drive. Come and experience a unique opportunity for the whole family. Watch thousands of birds as they move from daytime feeding areas to their nightly roosting areas. Many different species of wading birds along with hawks and ducks will be seen! After the sun goes down, hop on a hay covered trailer where we will drive over 9 miles of trails looking for wildlife using high powered spotlights. Whitetail deer, bobcats, raccoons, opossums, armadillos and barred owls may be spotted on this incredible journey. You should bring bug spray, camera and other essentials for this evening outdoor excursion!
Orlando Wetlands Photoshoot
Visit this unique and most beautiful wetland in Central Florida with Milton Heiberg--a thirty year veteran of nature photography---teacher of the subject for twenty years at the NYC Audubon Society, and now at The Crealde School of Art in Orlando. He is the author of seven books on photography. Many of his students have become well published and noted nature photographers (which includes Florida's own Arthur Morris). You will receive a gratis copy of Milton's latest book: The Essentials of Nature Photography. We will catch a sunrise over the still waters of the marsh, walk and stalk the abundant bird life along the berm roads. Bring tripod, ISO 200 or 400 film and a 300+mm lens. We will walk one mile (plus or minus) so wear comfortable shoes.
Bird Banding & Blue Spring State Park
In 1994, Parks Small, biologist at Wekiwa Springs State Park, initiated a project to band birds during fall migration. A winter project, the first to investigate winter site fidelity of passerines in Florida, was started in the fall of 1998. Richard Poole first banded birds in 1995 with Parks Small, and has participated at the Rock Springs Run banding station ever since.
Viera Ponds & Malabar Scrub
Join Brian Toland, tour leader, Larry Manfredi and Wildlife photographer Jim Angy for a trip to the Brevard County Water Treatment Plant Wetlands.
Shorebird Identification
See workshops.
Beginning Birding
See Workshops.
Beginning Photography
See workshops.
Behind the Scenes at the Brevard Zoo
The Brevard Zoo is hosting an early morning trip to the zoo for close up experiences with the animals from Central and South America, Native Florida and Australia and Asia. You will spend the morning with staff experiencing first hand how keepers work with animals through positive reinforcement, operant conditioning, enrichment and general animal husbandry. You will also have a chance to kayak inside the zoo to explore our restored wetlands that support a wild population of otter, bobcat, deer, and numerous species of birds.
Nov. 9 & 10, 9:00am-12:00pm, Limited to 40 registrants; Free
Seminar and field trip are at Merritt Island N.W.R, Visitors Information Center.
Trip Leader Dr Jim Davis
Nov 9, 7:00am-11:00am, Limited to 12 registrants, $30.00/person FULL
Nov 11, 8:30am-12:30pm, Limited to 12 registrants, $30.00/person
Canaveral National Seashore. We have our share of productive lesser known areas too - places like Seminole Ranch, Hatbill Park, Salt Lake, Fawn Lake, Buck Lake, Scottsmoor Landing, Hog Valley and Hammock Road. Along with the unusual wading birds, shorebirds and some water fowl, these areas might produce tantalizing species like brown headed nuthatch, Bachman's sparrow, eastern bluebird, Carolina chickadee, painted buntings, various woodpeckers, loggerhead shrike, limpkin, roseate spoonbills, reddish egret, bald eagle, wood stork, Florida scrub jay and Florida sandhill crane.
Hop on the bus for a trip through the pines and palmettos of North Brevard's scrublands and wetlands to learn about some of our favorite, but not so famous, hotspots. Due to unpredictable water levels in the fall, which depend on seasonal tropical weather activity, some areas listed may be inaccessible. Sites visited on this trip will be determined during pre-festival scouting trips. This field trip requires a moderate amount of walking.
Nov. 8, 9 & 10, 6:00am - 12:30pm, Limited to 25 registrants: $35.00/person
Friday, Nov. 9 is FILLED
Whooping Cranes and Dry Prarie Habitat
Sandhill cranes - Ed King
Trip Leaders: Joanna Taylor & Marty Folk
The tour will visit Overstreet Landing on Lake Kissimmee to look for members of the second largest flock of the most endangered crane in the world. The Landing is a good place to look for Snail Kites, Bald Eagles and other raptors, waterfowl, shorebirds and wading birds, in addition to Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes. Wildlife Biologist, Marty Folk will join the tour there to show a video of a Whooping Crane release and talk about radio tracking of the endangered birds.
The tour will then go to Forever Florida, a 4300 acre wilderness preserve near Kenansville. After lunch, participants will board custom made, photographer friendly "cracker cruisers" for a tour through dry prairie, cypress swamps, grasslands, pine woods, creeks and dense oak hammocks. Thanks to years of prescribed burning, the Florida wildflowers and native grasses at Forever Florida have returned to a historical condition that predates man's interference. The blooming grasses at this time of the year are incredible. In addition to the natural preserve, the cracker tour will travel through the Crescent J Ranch, where you will see descendants of the horses and cattle brought here by the Spaniards over 400 years ago. You'll learn about the cracker cattle industry, the turpentine industry and railroading.
Nov. 10, 6:00am - 5:00pm, Limited to 44 participants; $55.00/person
Trip Leaders: Dr. Walter Taylor and Susan Gosselin
Nov 10, 11:30am - 4:00pm, Limited to 25 registrants, $30.00/person.
Trip Leaders Buck and Linda Cooper & Susan Gosselin
Nov 9, 11:30am-4:00pm, limited to 25 registrants, $30.00/person
Nov 11, 9:45am-2:15pm, limited to 25 registrants, $30.00/person
Blue Heron Created Wetlands
Lee Snyder
Leader: Judy Dryja
This 292 acre site situated midway between the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Johns River, contains seven cells or ponds that are rich in wildlife. Deer, hogs, bobcat, alligators, birds, turtles, and frogs prowl the dikes. Presently the plant community includes about 65 species. Over the next two years this number should increase to 150 species, as workers encourage the historic vegetative cover and eliminate the exotic or nuisance plants.
Local birders are flocking to Blue Heron WTS. David Simpson, a local naturalist, spotted 91 Least Bitterns one day last spring (many of them young fledglings). American Bittern, Purple Gallinule, Hairy Woodpecker, Limpkin, Sandhill Crane, Roseate Spoonbill, Black-crowned Night Heron, Black-necked Stilt, Bald Eagle, Bobolink and Gull-billed Tern are a few of the 110 bird species sighted here.
Don't miss this opportunity to join Judy Dryja for this tour of Titusville's own Great Florida Birding Trail Site.
Nov. 11, 8:00am-12:00pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $30.00/person
This trip is FILLED
Trip Leader John Stiner, Lee Snyder & Sarah Linney
Turtle Mound is one of Florida's best known archeological sites. It served as an important navigation point for Spanish sailors and was included on some of the earliest maps of Florida. Seminole Rest is a large midden (a term archeologists use for the piles of shells left behind by the Native Americans). One of the oldest middens in the area, it was saved from destruction by a protective landowner when all the others were hauled away for road fill in the early 1900's. The landowner's house still stands vigil over this ancient site. Castle Windy is a smaller midden but poses a very intriguing question for avid birdwatchers. We can't give you a million dollars, but we'd be grateful if you can provide the answer.
Join John Stiner, Lee Snyder & Sarah Linney as we investigate the lives of Native Americans that once lived here and hardy settlers who braved the wilds of Florida before the creation of air conditioning and mosquito control.
Nov 9, 8:30am - 5:00pm, Limited to 44 registrants; $45.00/person (includes meal)
Trip Leaders: Suzanne Kennedy and Tami Robinson
The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary is the flagship sanctuary for the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. This 393 acre nature sanctuary is located in Titusville and is part of the sanctuary network established by the EEL Program. The sanctuary contains a diversity of natural resources and preserves a significant sample of the natural communities that originally occurred in this region. The site comprises four community types: xeric oak scrub, mature hardwood forests, wetlands and pine flatwoods. Enchanted Forest is one of the few places in Brevard County where subtropical and temperate plant species are found together and where visitors can see the exposed layers of coquina rock that form a major geological feature called the Atlantic Coastal Ridge.
The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary has been identified as a Management and Education Center within the North Regional Management Area, serving as a management and education hub to implement the conservation, education, and recreation goals of the EEL Program. The Management and Education Center is currently under construction with a targeted completion date of May 2002.
Your guides for this hike will be the EEL Program's North Region Land Manager and a plant ecologist from the Office of Natural Resources. The guides can help you with plant identification and can fill you in on all the management challenges we face with managing lands like the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary.
Nov 11, 9:00am-12:00pm, 1/2 day easy hike, Limited to 20 people; Free.
Trip Leader: Lorne Malo and Jeff Bouton
This will likely be a moderately difficult 4-mile walk through a lot of mud and standing water, and ample mosquitoes. Be prepared for a wet and wild adventure!
Nov. 9 & 10, 5:30am-12:00pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $35.00/person
Canaveral National Seashore
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo & Jeff Bouton
If there are strong east or northeast winds, we may find other pelagic species, such as magnificent frigatebirds, storm-petrels, shearwaters and jaegers. Most of the common wading birds, and some of the common waterfowl and shorebirds will be seen in Mosquito Lagoon and in some of the roadside impoundments. American white pelicans, common loons, and horned grebes may also be seen. Florida scrub jays can be found near the entrance station.
We will be making frequent stops and there will be some short easy walks. Bring spotting scopes if you have them and be prepared for mosquitoes.
Nov. 11, 6:00am - 12:00pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $35.00/person
Trip Leaders: Lorne Malo & Jeff Bouton
Jetty Park is a good coastal site that attracts many larids, shorebirds, raptors, and songbirds. We may see common loons, horned grebes, great black-backed gulls, lesser black-backed gulls, sandwich terns, black skimmers, merlins, peregrine falcons, sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks. An adult Sabine's gull was found on the beach here recently and painted buntings were found in the oak hammocks.
If there are strong east or northeast winds, we may find some pelagic species, such as gannets, magnificent frigatebirds, storm-petrels, shearwaters and jaegers.
Scottsmoor Landing is a good salt marsh site on the Indian River that attracts numerous wading birds, rails, waterfowl, white pelicans, shorebirds, and raptors. We may see common loons, horned grebes, roseate spoonbills, reddish egrets, merlins, peregrine falcons, clapper rails, and marsh and sedge wrens
There will be some short easy walks at each stop. Bring spotting scopes if you have them and be prepared for mosquitoes and lots of good birding!
Nov. 11, 6:00am - 12:00pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $35.00/person
Haulover Canal Boat Tour
Trip Leader: Captain Ron Thorstad, Becky Smith, Trish Burke & Sharon Tyson
Nov. 8, 10 & 11, 9:00am - 10:30am, Limited to 36 registrants: $18.00/person
Nov. 8, 10 & 11, 9:00am-10:30am, Limited to 36 registrants; $18.00/person
Nov. 8, 10 & 11, 11:00am-12:30pm, Limited to 36 registrants; $18.00/person
Meet at Bear Cove Boat Launch Area at Haulover Canal on the Merrit Island NWR
Trip Leader: Mark Sees and Sandy Bressler
Nov 9, 5:30pm - 9:00pm, Limited to 50 participants; $15.00/person.
Meet at Orlando Wetlands Park.
Directions: Travel State Road 50 to Christmas, Florida. Turn north on Ft. Christmas Road and travel 2.3 miles, then turn east (right) onto Wheeler Road and travel 1.5 miles. Parking Area will be on your left.
Trip Leader: Milton Heiberg
For more information and to see some of Milton's work, visit: www.miltonheiberg.com.
Saturday, November 10, 6:00am-10:00am; Strictly limited to 12 registrants; $45/person
Meet at 6:00 A.M. in the parking lot of Jungle Adventures.
Trip Leaders: Randy Sleister, Buck and Linda Cooper, Boyde Blihovde, Richard Poole & Richard Harris
Wekiwa Basin GEOpark biologist, Boyde Blihovde will join the group and Richard at the banding station in the high sandhill habitat, where Richard will have a series of mist nets positioned near shrubs and fields.
At nearby Blue Spring State Park, the group will join Captain Ron Woxberg, aboard the NATIVE II, for a tour of the quiet backwaters of the historic St. Johns River. Numerous bird species, manatees, alligators, and other wild critters call this meandering waterway, with its shorelines of cypress and great stands of oak hammocks, home.
Blue Spring State Park biologist, Richard Harris, will join the group to provide an interpretive tour covering the natural and cultural history of the Spring, which plays a vital role in the survival of one of the state's most beleaguered residents – the Florida manatee. It is the most significant winter warm water refuge for manatees in the state. Its high sandhill areas are home to several Florida scrub jay families.
For hundreds of years, Timucuan Indians made the Spring area their home, eating snails gathered from sandbars. Over the years, their discarded shells formed a massive mound. By the mid-1800s, most of the Indians had been killed or driven south and pioneer settlers took their place. In 1872, Louis and Mary Thursby built a large frame house atop the shellmound, safe from the floodwaters of the St. Johns River. Louis built a dock so he could service steamboats. Thursby's Landing was a popular stopping place for northern scientists who came to Florida to study its strange wildlife and plants. Many stayed in the home, where Thursby's six children assisted them in their work, collecting eggs and even shooting birds and shipping the skins north.
The Thursby Home has been closed to the public for many years. Participants on this field trip will get a rare, special opportunity to tour this wonderful, old "Florida Cracker" house, which is filled with furnishings and memories from Florida's fabulous steamboat era.
Nov. 8 & 10, 6:00am-5:00pm, Limited to 44 registrants; $60.00/person (includes meal)
Trip Leaders: Brian Toland, Larry Manfredi & Jim Angy
During 1999-2000, a series of connected wetlands was constructed by Brevard County for the advanced treatment of reclaimed water. The excavated ponds were planted with emergent wetland plants includinggiant bulrush, pickerelweed, arrowhead, and maidencane. This higher nutrient treatment facility reduces the phosphorus and nitrogen loading of waste water before being discharged into the St. Johns River via the Four Mile Canal. Part of this wetland complex is a pair of retention ponds that receive treated waste water that is used entirely for irrigation of sod on the neighboring Duda Sod Farms.
During the fall and winter an incredible diversity of bird species use these created wetlands and the nearby prairie hammocks and cabbage palm savannahs. An active bald eagle nest is observable from the wetland dike road, a family of crested caracaras maintain a territory around the wetlands, and northern harriers course just above the marsh vegetation and pasture grasses. Thousands of wintering ducks concentrate here including, green-winged teal, blue-winged teal, northern shovels, gadwalls, American widgeons, mottled ducks, mallards, hooded and red-breasted mergansers, lesser scaup, ring-necked ducks, northern pintails, buffleheads, and ruddy ducks. Canada geese sometimes use these artificial marshes during the winter. During the last year two Central American species made appearances here, including the fork-tailed flycatcher and black-bellied whistling duck. As many as 14 black-bellied whistling ducks now regularly use this wetland system.
Following the trip to the wetlands, we'll move to ancient relic dune uplands habitat at Malabar Scrub, with Zack Pruzak, South Mainland Region Land Manager for the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program. Travel through 400 acres of mesic and xeric flatwoods, sand pine scrub, oak scrub, ponds and blackwater stream habitats. Along the way, we'll encounter many birds, such as the Florida scrub jay; scrub denizens such as the Gopher Tortoise and Oak toads; and of course, many fascinating insects, such as the Florida harvester ant! Discussions will focus on such topics as prescribed fire in the urban interface, exotic control, insect diversity and the challenges of managing lands for natural area conservation and passive recreation.
To find out more about Brian Toland at Toland Environmental Consulting, visit future website: www.tolandenvironmental.com Larry Manfredi: www.southfloridabirding.com EEL program: www.brevardparks.com
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Nov. 8 & 11, 6:00am-12:30pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $35.00/person
Trip Leaders: Lee Snyder & Sarah Linney
Nov. 8 & 10, 9:00am- 12:30pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $30.00/person
Trip Leaders: Carroll Holland and Carey Salter
Nov. 8, 9:00am-12:30pm; Free
Nov. 10, 10:30am-2:00pm; Free (bring snacks)
Trip Leader: Ed King
Nov. 10, 1:00pm - 4:30pm, Limited to 12 registrants; $25.00/person
Trip Leader: Zoo Director, Margo McKnight
Nov.11, 8:00am - 12:30pm, Limited to 25 registrants; $30.00/person
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